Improvement in advertising merchandise-cars



- 2 Sheets-Smet 1. A. H.BURHANS. AdvertisingMerchandise Car.

No'. 210,595. Patented Dec. 1o, 187s.

WITMEssEs l v INVENTc-m.

' pwwmxxm NPETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D, C. H

y 2. Sheets-Sheet 2. A. HJBURHANS. y Advertising Merchandise- Car.

No. 210,595. Patented Dec. IO. 1878.

INVENTOR 1 EYS w TNEssEs N, PETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orr-Ton.

AUGUSTUS H. BURHANS, OF BURLINGTON, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ADVERTISING MERCHANDISE-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 210,595, dated December 10, 1878; application filed September 4, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatl, AUGUSTUS H. BURHANs, of the city of Burlington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Advertising MerchandiseOars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exa-ct description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specih'cation.

My invention relates to an improvement in merchandising-cars; and consists in a certain combination of parts, hereinafter described and claimed, for adapting the exterior of the car to receive and display advertisements of the house, person, or rm whose goods may be transported in the car, or advertisements of a general nature; the design being to provide an agencycar, in which a salesman can travel for numerous houses and sell their goods, or show their samples and solicit orders.

In the drawing, Figure 1 represents a crosssection of a merchandising-car. Fig. 2 represents a side view of the same, adapted to receive and display advertisements.

A is the car, divided off in any suitable manner upon the interior, for the transportation and display of goods of various natures. No particular arrangement of the interior of the car is essential but I prefer substantially such an arrangement as is described in Letters Patent granted to me March 7, 187 6, No. 174,409. It is quite essential, or, at least, highly desirable, in a car of this nature that the advertisements of the establishment from which the goods emanate that are being transported within the car should appear in public view upon the exterior of the car, so that the public may readily acquire a knowledge of the goods thus exposed for examination or sale. So, also, advertisements of a general nature might be likewise displayed. To this end I divide off the exterior space upon the sides of the car into suitable divisions or limited spaces, divided, preferably, by suitable moldings, so as to make the advertisements separate and distinct. Vithin these the advertisements may be inserted, either by fastening thereto a piece of board or metal upon which the advertisement has been painted or stamped; or the surface of the car within the space might be suitably smoothed and prepared to receive directly the advertisement by having it painted upon or transferred directly to the surface.

Spaces of the nature described are shown at B upon the sides of the car, and I have also indicated certain advertisements. This advertising is not necessarily limited to merchandising-cars; but any other passenger or freight car might be in a similar manner made to dis play advertisements by first forming suitable surfaces to receive the advertisements, and then dividing off the space into allotments by suitable moldings.

In order th at the advertisement maybe protected in bad weather, or when it is not deksired to display the advertisements, I prefer generally to surround the car, or those parts provided with advertisements, with tarpaulin or canvas, which may be rolled up beneath the edge of the roofV and secured in any suitable manner. Such canvas is shown at O, and it' designed for use on passenger-cars and others having` windows there may or may not be spaces or openings through the tarpaulin or canvas corresponding with the space occupied by the windows of the car. So, also, these advertisements, or any of them, may, if desired, be covered with a plate of glass, so that it shall always maintain its bright and clean condition.

The exterior surface of the car is divided oil' into advertising-spaces by cleats or moldings D D', adapted to permit the advertisements to be slipped into and secured in place, one or more of said cleats being removably secured to the car, whereby by removing said cleat the advertisement may be slid in or out of place.

It will be observed that the longitudinal middle cleat, D', is secured by screws d, and may be readily removed. Said cleats are prod vided with elastic material, such as strips of rubber E, which are interposed between them andthe advertising-plates, and serve to keep water out from the joints.

Suitable pieces of elastic substance F are also placed at different points between the adA vertising-plates and the cleats for holding said parts secure and without rattling. Sliding doors G- are provided at the ends of the cnr, whereby the Whole of its interior space may be utilized, and the display or handling of the goods not be interrupted or disturbed by opening,` and closing;` :t swinging door.

A ein' constructed end provided as thus set forth forms e manufacturers and denlers commission, sample, and sale ear, which is the object and feature of my invention.

I am aware that heretofore means much similar to those above described have been employed for holdin g in position ordinary edvertising-plzttes, as the letter are secured to objects other than the exterior side of e railwey-car; hence I restrict my invention to the I )zuticuler form described in the specification and set forth in the elziiln.

A nierchandisingear, A, having its exterior side divided into advertising-spaces B, and provided with ai roller-curtain, C, :t series of vertical molding cleats, D, e removable horizontal cleat, D', and advertising-plates tting Within grooved ways formed in said cleats, together with rubber strips E, inserted in said grooves, and rubber pieces F, interposed between said plates and their respective spaces at suitable central points thereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have si gned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUSTUS E. BURHANS.

Witnesses A. T. HAY, G. F. BECKWITH. 

